ECE 480
Pre-Proposal
Ethernet Integrity Analyzer
Sponsored By Texas Instruments
Design Team 7:
Sponsor: Jim Reinhart
Facilitator: Dr. Donnie Reinhard
Ahmed Alsinan- Documentation Prep.
Andrew Christopherson- Web Design
Sedat Gur- Lab Coordinator
Mark Jones- Manager
Brian Schulte- Presentation Prep.
Executive Summary
Due to the expanding use of Ethernet technology, the need for a troubleshooting device
is becoming more of a necessity. To fulfill this need, we intend to put Texas Instruments at the
forefront of this industry by creating an Ethernet Integrity Analyzer designed around existing TI
technologies including the TLK100 Ethernet transceiver. This handheld device will have the
capabilities of performing a series of cable diagnostics over an Ethernet line. These diagnostics
will detect and locate faults such as, cable damage, water ingress, and manufacturing flaws. In
addition, the device supports the relatively new technology of Power-over-Ethernet which will
decrease power consumption and lower cost of operation.
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Background ................................................................................................................................................... 2
Ranking of Conceptual Designs ..................................................................................................................... 3
Objectives or Design Specifications ............................................................................................................. 4
Proposed Design Solution ............................................................................................................................. 5
Risk Analysis ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Project Management Plan .......................................................................................................................... 10
Budget ......................................................................................................................................................... 12
References ................................................................................................................................................... 12
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Introduction
Ethernet has become one of the most popular and widely deployed network
technologies in the world. In today's increasingly complex internet and client-server
environments, the need for Ethernet Analyzers is becoming more essential for network
operation and maintenance. ECE 480 Design Team 7 will design and develop a handheld
analyzer for Ethernet networks. Our Ethernet Integrity Analyzer (EIA) will automatically execute
a diagnostic suite, and perform integrity checks when plugged into a standard RJ-45 Ethernet
port. The EIA will display the results of the tests by its on-board color touch-screen display and
can optionally tag and store the results in a data log to be later uploaded to a host PC for offline analysis. The EIA is powered from one of three sources: Power-over-Ethernet if detected on
the link, a DC input supply or, if neither of the line sources are detected, batteries.
Background
Currently, there are a limited number of diagnostic tools for Ethernet Networks. Many
of the current tools require significant knowledge of networks and can take a significant
amount of time to accurately diagnose. TI has a number of existing technologies that we will
incorporate to create a new network analyzing tool that will be intuitive and handheld. The
most significant TI product to be incorporated is the TLK100 Ethernet PHY, a physical layer
device that offers three capabilities Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR), Active Link Cable
Diagnostic (ALCD) and Digital Spectrum Analyzer (DSA). A new technology being used is Powerover-Ethernet which will be incorporated through the Texas Insturment's TPS2376 PoE PD
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Controller. Another highlighted TI hardware technology is the ARM Cortex M3 MCU. The
software will be developed using StellarisWare which is used to program the microcontroller in
C++. We will also use the IAR embedded workbench which is a development environment for
programming ARM-based embedded applications.
Ranking of Conceptual Designs
Table 1: Solution Selection Matrix
In Table 1 we created a Solution Selection Matrix to help us figure out what parts were
the most important. Symbol quantities are as follows: ∆=1, o=3, •=9 on a 1-10 scale. We looked
at various aspects that would be important in our design solutions, such as: appearance, cost,
performance, size, speed, robustness, and usability. After comparing these with our design we
came to the conclusions that running the integrity checks and displaying the results were found
to be the most important (Shown in Table 2).
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Table 2: Feasibility Matrix
Objectives or Design Specifications
We have been asked to design a handheld Ethernet Integrity Analyzer (EIA) for Texas
Instruments. This EIA should run tests along an Ethernet line including Time Domain
Reflectometry (TDR), Active Link Cable Diagnostic (ALCD) and Digital Spectrum Analyzer (DSA).
These tests should be accessible in both active mode—ran in a matter of seconds, or passive
mode—left for hours at a time. Active mode will display results instantaneously, where as the
passive mode will store the information for later review. All data will be displayed on a colortouch screen that we serve as the user-interface. The device is to be powered by three different
options. Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) will be the primary source if applicable. When no PoE is
detected, an AC adapter will be converted to a DC input. Finally, when no source of power is
found, a rechargeable back-up battery will supply the power. Below is our Fast Track Diagram
that details the different function definitions of our project.
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Fast Track Diagram
Proposed Design Solution
Our design will diagnose a RJ-45 Ethernet line to determine its integrity. The Stellaris®
LM3S9B96 Development Board (shown in Figure 1) presents a platform for developing systems
around the advanced capabilities of the LM3S9B96 ARM® Cortex™-M3 based microcontroller.
The LM3S9B96 is a member of the Stellaris Tempest-Class microcontroller family which
contains capabilities such as 80MHz clock speeds, an External Peripheral Interface (EPI) and
Audio I2C interfaces. To support these features, the DK-LM3S9B96 includes a rich set of
peripherals found on other Stellaris boards. This development kit will lead us to design and test
the implementation of our Ethernet Integrity Analyzer. The kit also provides some features such
as, Controller Area Network (CAN), 10/100 BaseT Ethernet, 1MB flash memory and LCD
monitor.
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Figure 1: Development Board
Referenced from [3]
The Development Board is supplied by 4.75-5.25 V dc voltage from USB cable, USB
micro-B cable (USBs connected to a PC) or DC power jack. Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)
technology will be used when power is detected by the TPS2376-H PoE PD. The power used
from the Ethernet line will be converted to +5V DC in order to be used to power the
Development Board. To have a rechargeable battery system with a wall adapter, the bq24070
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Single-Chip LI-ION Charge and Power-Path Mgmt IC will be used. Once this power has been
converted to +5V DC, it can be logically combined with the PoE using Option 1 illustrated in
Figure 2. This will allow for switching between the rechargeable battery system with wall
adapter and the PoE. The EIA will be designed such that the PoE will be the primary power
supply with the batteries and wall adapter as an alternate. The battery will supply power when
no other power source is detected.
Figure 2: Power-over-Ethernet Schematic
Referenced from [2]
The TLK100 will be used to provide the connection between the Media Independent
Interface (MII) and the Media Access Controller (MAC). The mixed-signal processing is used by
the TLK100 to equalize, recover data, and to correct error. The TLK100 is able to handle large
amounts of interference and noise, creating a robust system. It has the capability to run Time
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Domain compliance Reflectometry (TDR), Active Link Cable Diagnostic (ALCD), and Digital
Spectrum Analyzer (DSA). Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) will be used for locating errors in
the cable as well as measuring the length of the cable. By analyzing reflections of a test pulse
the TDR will be able to calculate impedances throughout the line and the locations of those
impedances. Active Link Cable Diagnostic (ALCD) is capable of measuring the overall cable
length with even higher accuracy than the TDR. Finally the Digital Spectrum Analyzer (DSA) will
be used to find the magnitude of the frequency response (119.2 Hz Resolution).
Figure 3:
Referenced from [1]
This single port transceiver will allow us to perform cable diagnostics. The TLK100 uses
Time Domain Reflectrometry (TDR) to determine the quality of the cables, connectors, and
terminations. Also, TLK100 supports Active Link Cable Diagnostic. This offers a passive method
to estimate the cable length during the active link. The other diagnostic our design will cover is
analysis of the channel frequency response. The TLK100 offers a unique capability of Digital
Spectrum Analyzer.
On the next page in figure 4 is a block diagram of the entire project.
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(Contains User
Interface)
+3.3V DC
+6V DC w/Diode
+5V
DC
Data
Bq24070
Single-Chip LI-ION
Charge
And System Power
Path Mgmt IC
Buck
Converter
Stellaris® LM3S9B96
Development Kit
~V DC
Adapter
Power
Recharge
DC Power
Battery
TPS2376-H
PoE PD
Controller
RJ-45 Power
RJ-45
Port
TLK 100
RJ-45 Data
Figure 4: Ethernet Integrity Analyzer Block Diagram
Risk Analysis
For this project, receiving parts in a timely manner is one of the biggest issues that we
have that could prevent the project from being completed on time. Some core components
have long delivery times. A broken part could end up slowing down the development for weeks
if there is not a backup on hand. Creating a solution that is small enough to fit in a handheld
devices is also a concern, since some components come with unneeded features, increasing
their complexity and size.
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Project Management Plan
Name
Non-Technical Role
Technical Role
Ahmed Alsinan
Documentation Preparation
POE to battery switching
Andrew Christopherson
Web Design
Programming
microcontroller/LCD display
Sedat Gur
Lab Coordinator
DC/DC conversion
Mark Jones
Manager
Programming TLK100 Ethernet
PHY
Brian Schulte
Presentation Preparation
Battery/AC Power
Implementation
Week
Week 1: 1/11 – 1/17
Tasks

Meet with team

Receive Project Description

Meet with Facilitator

Begin Research on project

Conference call with sponsor
Week 3: 1/25 – 1/31

Request critical parts from TI
Week 4: 2/1 – 2/7

Pre-Proposal Due

Request additional parts
Week 5: 2/8 – 2/14

Voice of Customer Due
Week 6: 2/15 – 2/21

Receive Development Kit

Final Proposal Due

Oral Presentation

Begin coding touch display

Work on interface between
microcontroller and Ethernet PHY
Week 2: 1/18 – 1/24
Week 7: 2/22 – 2/28
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
FAST Diagram Due

Design Day Program Page Due

Begin work on Power Over Ethernet
controller

Code Ethernet PHY to run diagnostics
Spring Break: 3/8 – 3/14

Time Off
Week 9: 3/15 – 3/21

Progress Report #1

Demo of project

Complete implementation of switching
between POE and batteries

Student technical lecture

Implement Passive mode for analyzer
Week 11: 3/29 – 4/4

Individual application notes due
Week 12: 4/5 – 4/11

Progress Report #2

Second demo of porject

Design Issues Paper

Working model of Ethernet Analyzer

Finish Poster and Final Report

Practice Design Day Presentation

Design Day

Turn in Engineering Notebooks
Week 8: 3/1 – 3/7
Week 10: 3/22 – 3/28
Week 13: 4/12 – 4/18
Week 14: 4/19 – 4/25
Week 15: 4/26 – 5/2
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Budget
While TI will be providing most of the parts needed for this project, making it so our group has
very little control over the cost of the final design, we will try to create a rough estimate of
what the cost of the final design might be, which is shown below in Table 3. Our 500 dollar
budget will be used for various minor tools and parts as they are needed.
Table 3: Estimated Price
References
[1] "Industrial Temp, Single Port 10/100 Mb/s Ethernet Physical Layer Transceiver," SLLS931B–
AUGUST 2009–REVISED DECEMBER 2009, <http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tlk100.pdf>
[2] "IEEE 802.3af PoE High Power PD Controller," SLVS646A – SEPTEMBER 2006 – REVISED
SEPTEMBER 2006 < http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps2376-h.pdf>
[3] "Stellaris ® LM3S9B96 Dvelopment Kit"
< https://www.luminarymicro.com/products/dk-lm3s9b96.html>
[4] "Single-Chip LI-ION Charge and System Power-Path Management IC," SLUS694F –MARCH
2006–REVISED DECEMBER 2009 < http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/bq24071.pdf>
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